“Raayan” (2024) is the second directorial venture of actor Dhanush, who has played the eponymous role. Dhanush’s directorial debut, “Power Paandi” (2017), featured an unusual premise of an aging stuntman in search of his long-lost love but somewhat marred by the film’s cloying sentimentality. However, the promotional materials and the trailer of “Raayan” gave off the feeling of a lean and mean crime drama, with Dhanush embodying a reticent ordinary man with some extraordinary abilities. “Raayan” also has the star-studded cast of S.J. Surya, Sundeep Kishan, Dushara Vijayan, Kalidas Jayaram, and Prakash Raj.
“Raayan” is more meticulously staged than Dhanush’s debut venture. The film’s strengths are the intense action sequences, punctuated with mythological references, and the overall production values. A.R. Rahman’s soundtrack and songs do an excellent job of elevating the narrative’s dramatic quotient. Yet the biggest drawback of “Raayan” is its writing, particularly in the second half when Dhanush rushes into the themes of betrayal and revenge in the most unconvincing and perplexing manner. While the premise and its execution might draw comparisons with Vetrimaaran’s films, “Raayan” utterly lacks the emotional investment and intellect of a Vetrimaaran script.
Now, let’s look at what unfolds in this bloody tale of sibling and gang rivalry. Spoilers Ahead.
Raayan (2024) Movie Plot Explained:
The Protector, Provider, and Father Figure
“Raayan” – actor Dhanush’s 50th film – opens in a village with the birth of a child in a family of three male siblings. The eldest of the Raayan brothers, Kaathavaraayan, yearns for a baby sister. Later, when his wish comes true, he dotes on her and names the child Durga. The parents leave for town one day, hoping to return by night. But a day passes without any news about their parents. When Kaathavaraayan seeks the help of a local priest to inquire about his parents’ whereabouts, the man reassures him. But in the night, the priest tries to sell the kids, particularly the baby girl. An enraged Kaathavaraayan hacks the priest to death and leaves the village with his siblings.
We never learn what happened to the parents, and Kaathavaraayan becomes the head of this fractured family, addressed simply as ‘Raayan.’ In the city, he works as a laborer in the market and befriends Sekhar (Selvaraghavan), who later becomes the family’s well-wisher. Raayan’s devotion to his siblings, particularly the girl child, is unparalleled from a young age. As Durga, Muthu, and Manickam grow up, they perceive their elder brother more as a father. Raayan himself remains stoic, rarely letting off his emotions. A semblance of a smile breaks his tough exterior only when he feels the warmth of his beloved sister’s love.
Can Raayan’s Unwavering Love Keep His Siblings United?
The black-and-white portions transition to color as Durga and Raayan brothers are all grown up. Raayan (Dhanush) runs a fast-food stall in North Chennai with his hot-headed middle brother, Muthu (Sundeep Kishan), and his college-going younger brother, Manickam (Kalidas Jayaram). A wealthy guy speaks with Sekhar about acquiring Raayan’s food stall alongside the other ones in the area. But Muthu resorts to violence when the guy mentions he has the blessings of the local gangster, Durai (Saravanan). Meanwhile, Manickam is also at the center of a violent conflict since he is contesting in the college elections opposite an MLA son.
Muthu is in a romantic relationship with Megala (Aparna Balamurali), but his recklessness and drunken behavior cause her worry. Though Muthu perceives his brother Raayan with a mix of respect and fear, even his advice doesn’t curb his violent nature. Muthu shares a better rapport – more like a friendship – with his younger brother, Manickam. On the other hand, Durga’s world revolves around her hardworking brother Raayan. The following morning, Sekhar accompanies Raayan to apologize to Durai for Muthu’s behavior.
A Ruthless Police Commissioner Sets a Dangerous Game in Motion
Durai’s gang has a feud with Sethu (S.J. Surya). Durai has killed Sethu’s father, but Sethu maintains a truce with Durai despite feeling belittled. As Raayan reaches Durai’s home, a frustrated Sethu leaves the place. Meanwhile, a recently transferred Police Commissioner, Sargunam (Prakash Raj), is briefed about Durai and Sethu and their animosity. The Commissioner wants to stoke a conflict and kill the surviving gang leader in an encounter. Later, Sargunam reveals his profound hatred for gangsters ever since his father – a Sub Inspector – was killed by a gang.
Durai slyly warns Raayan to keep Muthu under his control. He also hints at a violent incident that happened a decade before, in which Raayan was involved. In fact, back then, Durai offered Raayan to join his gang, but he felt content to lead an ordinary life, and he still does. The foreshadowing of the protagonist’s violent nature continues as Durai later appeases a loud gang member to not mess with Raayan. Raayan returns home to learn that the police have arrested Muthu. The inspector says his hands are tied since there’s a complaint from the guy whose head is smashed. Subsequently, he visits the injured man in the hospital and calmly threatens to kill him if the complaint isn’t withdrawn. By the time Raayan returns to the police station, Muthu is freed.
Will Muthu’s Volatile Nature Disrupt the Delicate Balance?
But Raayan is furious about Muthu’s increasingly violent behavior. Feeling dejected, Muthu gets drunk in the bar. Meanwhile, the youngest brother, Manickam, speaks to Megala about the dynamics between his brothers. Manickam says the three of them look up to Raayan as a father figure, whereas he and Muthu more or less behave like friends. At college, the MLA’s son brings police officers to intimidate Manickam and withdraw him from contesting the election. When he seeks Raayan’s counsel, the elder brother tells Manickam to do as the police say. He also warns Manickam that he’ll never have a peaceful life if caught in the whirlwind of power struggle and violence. Though Manickam feels disheartened, he withdraws from the college election.
Sethu has two wives. At night, when he travels with his henchmen to the second wife’s home, a gang attacks him. Later, it’s revealed that Police Commissioner Sargunam has sent the goons to create a violent conflict between Sethu and Durai. After killing the hired goons, Sargunam hopes Sethu would be foolish enough to come to the conclusion that Durai has breached the truce. As expected, Sethu prepares for retaliation. Meanwhile, Raayan arranges marriage for Durga. As a dowry for the groom’s family, Raayan promises to give away his food stall. When Muthu and Manickam confront Raayan over his decision, he remains firm. Later, Muthu is humiliated by Megala’s father for being a loafer.
A Night of Chaos and Violence
Muthu once again seeks solace in a drink in the local bar. Sethu’s men also wait in the bar to kill a group of Durai’s men. The police officer following Sethu’s men reports to Sargunam that their plan will work tonight. Soon, Megala comes to the bar and slaps Muthu for his inconsiderate nature. Upon seeing this, some of Durai’s men laugh, which bruises Muthu’s ego. He fights with them, and soon Sethu’s men join the violent clash. At the end of the fight, Muthu, injured and passed out, happens to be the sole survivor. Sargunam visits the bar and asks an officer to take a photograph of Muthu, who is mistaken for one of Sethu’s men.
The rainy night only brings more bad news for the Raayan family. Sekhar informs that someone has killed Durai’s son at the bar. By the time the shock of what Muthu has done sinks in, Raayan receives a call from Durai. The gang leader orders Raayan to give his brother to him before morning. If he does that, Durai promises to spare his sister and Manickam. Though Durai knows what Raayan is capable of, he underestimates him in this scenario. Raayan would always go to any extreme to protect his siblings. Hence, under the cloak of the night, he takes his brothers to kill Durai and all his goons. Raayan’s weapon of choice – a long needle – is odd yet very effective.
Will the Cycle of Violence Persist?
Sargunam believes Sethu’s gang has daringly killed Durai and his men at their home. But Sethu is baffled at what has unfolded. Though Sethu is happy to gain dominion over Durai’s illegal activities, he also hunts for the men who murdered Durai. Meanwhile, Raayan struggles to arrange money for his sister’s marriage. When Muthu suggests they can take control of Durai’s ‘business,’ Raayan is enraged and disgraces his brother. After inquiring around the neighborhood, Sethu eventually learns that it was Raayan who killed his rival. It leads to a crowd-pleasing S.J Surya moment as Sethu’s hilarious, over-the-top mannerisms try to bring the truth out of the stoic Raayan.
Though Raayan maintains that he had nothing to do with Durai’s death, Sethu believes that Raayan is someone who shouldn’t be left alone. Sethu thinks he must either join his gang or be killed. Later, one night, Sethu’s men follow Raayan to kill him. But he quickly dispatches them utilizing his unique weapon. Understanding that Sethu won’t allow their family to live peacefully, Raayan decides to kill Sethu as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the postmortem report on Durai’s men reveals that murders were primarily committed by a single man wielding a singular weapon. Upon learning that Megala is pregnant with his child, Muthu tries to go to work but fails to find any job.
A Betrayal that Cuts Deeper than Any Wound
Sargunam is reminded of the photo of Muthu, and they learn more about him. But when the Police Commissioner sees Muthu with his brothers, his instincts tell him to keep an eye on Raayan. On the day before Durga’s wedding, Raayan feels restless and decides to remove the threat of Sethu, who is at his second wife’s home. As he gets ready to break in and kill, the scene is intercut with a moment from the past. It’s a conversation between the younger Raayan and Sekhar, who ask what the most dangerous animal in the jungle is. When the boy says it is a lion, Sekhar corrects him by saying that the lion and tiger might be the fiercest animals, but the wolves that hunt in packs are always the dangerous ones, which can even bring down a lion.
As Raayan casually breaks into the home to kill Sethu, he comes across the cunningness of the wolf-ish Sethu. Raayan doesn’t find Sethu, and to his shock, he sees his abducted sister. He frees her, only to come across a dozen of Sethu’s men with weapons. But there’s more to Sethu’s plan. Despite fighting their way through the gang members, Raayan loses Durga as she is abducted and taken away in an auto. To Raayan’s surprise, he sees his own brothers among Sethu’s men. Muthu and Manickam are ordered to kill Raayan, but they are panic-stricken. When Raayan runs toward them, Muthu snaps out of it and stabs his brother. Mistaking that Raayan intends to kill Muthu, Manickam also stabs Raayan, and they run away.
A Fractured Family, Beyond Repair?
Later, Raayan is rescued by Durga (who is freed after a while) and Sekhar and is taken to a local clinic. They threaten the doctor to treat Raayan’s grievous injuries. The shell-shocked brothers go to the marriage hall, processing their actions. A brief flashback reveals that Muthu first joined Sethu’s gang after he failed to find a job. Later, Manickam also accompanies his brother to earn easy money through gang activities. While Sethu deliberately uses Muthu and Manickam to shield himself against Raayan, he feigns ignorance when the brothers tell him the target is their own brother. The unanticipated twist of brothers turning against a brother might have looked clever on paper. But Raayan’s problems begin with the convoluted execution of this vital plot point.
Though there are hints that Muthu and Manickam will be caught in the web of violence, this aspect is shoehorned into the plot in the most unconvincing manner. Muthu and Manickam’s actions only get more baffling upon learning that Raayan is still alive. We never know what is the brothers’ reaction to their sister Durga getting abducted and sexually assaulted by one of Sethu’s henchmen. Suddenly, Muthu and Manickam transform into monsters and even send men to kill Raayan and Durga at the clinic (after following Sekhar). After a relentlessly fierce battle, Durga and Sekhar brutally finish off the killers and protect Raayan.
Raayan (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
The Game of Retaliation
With the doctor’s help, Raayan, Durga, and Sekhar go into hiding, further intensifying Sethu, Manickam, and Muthu’s fears. In the following months, as Raayan recuperates, both Durga and Raayan are hellbent on taking revenge. Sethu, Muthu, and Manickam constantly live in fear. A while later, Sekhar visits Sethu, asking him to give the henchman who sexually assaulted Durga. Sethu is surprised to hear this as he only ordered his men to abduct Durga and release her once Raayan is killed. But Sethu refuses to give up one of his gang members. However, when he learns that Raayan has already abducted Sethu’s second wife, Sethu has no choice but to send his man to his inevitable death.
The following day, Durga has her revenge, and her bloodied avatar resembles that of Goddess Kali. Anxious and petrified, Manickam calls Sekhar to arrange a meeting with Raayan and apologize to him. Sethu eavesdrops on Manickam and decides to torture and kill Sekhar in order to learn Raayan’s whereabouts. Before leaving to meet Manickam, Sekhar informs Durga about the call. Therefore, when Sekhar is found brutally murdered the following day, Durga believes Manickam has killed Sekhar. The public display of Sekhar’s corpse also sends a message to Raayan. Soon, the police arrest Raayan and take him to the Police Commissioner Sargunam.
What Happens to Raayan and Durga?
On one hand, the police officers force Sethu to make a truce with Raayan. On the other hand, Sargunam has ulterior motives behind seeking Raayan’s help. After making the truce in front of the Police Commissioner, the brothers, Muthu and Manickam, seek Raayan’s forgiveness. Sethu hopes to use the brothers as a shield to kill Raayan eventually. The climactic confrontation precedes an excellent song (Adangatha Asuran), although the song and dance sequence feel oddly jarring. The good and the bad people celebrate the bhogi festival, dancing to A.R. Rahman’s electrifying beats. But as the song ends, Durga stabs and kills Manickam. The panicked crowd disperses, and Sethu orders his men to kill Raayan. After sending Durga away in an auto, Raayan methodically murders every single gang member of Sethu. After an extended and well-staged fight, Raayan kills Sethu (burns him alive) and his brother, Muthu.
Later, it’s revealed that Commissioner Sargunam has offered Raayan money and freedom in exchange for killing Sethu and his gang. The following morning, he leaves the place with Durga, and Megala hands over her (and Muthu’s) newborn child to them. Sargunam waits for Raayan to collect the money so that he can tie off one more loose end. But he never shows up to meet the Commissioner and embarks on a long journey with Durga – an imagery that reminds us of the final shot of Vetrimaaran’s “Aadukalam” (2011).
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